


Show Me Baby That You Love Me So

by pygmypuffle



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Asexuality, Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, There's also cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:59:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5405639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pygmypuffle/pseuds/pygmypuffle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone is leaving mistletoe all over their shared flat and Louis knows it's not him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Show Me Baby That You Love Me So

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Muéstrame que me amas así](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5512826) by [claveldelaire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/claveldelaire/pseuds/claveldelaire)



> This is my lil baby because the asexuality umbrella is very near and dear to my heart, and honestly there can never be too many asexual characters/fics. Comments and kudos always appreciated!  
> Title taken from Mistletoe by Justin Bieber, if you haven't heard AJ Rafael and Tori Kelly's version, check out their [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQKIRYbpho) because it's beautiful.  
> 

It’s quiet when Louis gets home. Too quiet. Despite only having known Harry a little over a year, he's quickly learned that a quiet flat means that something's up.

A few months in to living together in the student flats, Louis had come back from a particularly stressful exam only to find an ashamed-looking Harry huddled on a chair in the kitchen. His green eyes were wide as he tearfully explained how he'd knocked Louis' favorite bowl into the sink, shattering it in the process.

In all honesty, Louis had cried a little too. It was terribly ugly, a garish green and orange and deep purple all mixed together, but his youngest sisters had painted it for him and he loved how the combination of each of their favorite colors was hideous and harmonious all at the same time. In the end, he'd shrugged it off, reassuring Harry that accidents happen and that it only meant he would need to join them the next time they went plate painting.

A few more incidents of coming home to silence had resulted in the adoption of two cats, an exciting but rather terrifying two-week-early surprise party, and most recently, Harry confessing his feelings for Louis in a stuttery, nervous wreck that ended in soft smiles and cuddles.

Things have been going well since then, and what with it being the first week of December, he had expected to come home to Michael Bublé blasting over the laptop and the sweet smell of gingerbread. Instead, there’s nothing but the faint jingle of the bell their more mischievous cat wears on her collar, and he can't help but worry.

"Haz?" he calls softly, unsure of what to expect, "You home?"

There's an ominous clatter from Harry's bedroom, followed by a soft groan.

He quickly toes off his shoes, reaching down absently to hoist a cat into his arms and make his way down the hall. "Harry? You okay in there?" he laughs, tapping his fingers on the closed door. Butterball reaches out as well, paws scrabbling against the wood, before looking up at Louis for approval. He hums, pressing a kiss between her ears. "C'mon I've got a fat cat here that needs some answers as to why there's no cookies," he jokes.

A second or two later, Harry pops his head out, pressing a kiss to Louis' cheek and scratching the underside of Butterball's chin. "Hiya love, didn't expect you back so soon, I would've made you a cuppa."

Louis shrugs. "Professor let us out early. What was that racket I heard coming in?"

He smiles blankly, stepping back and opening the door further. "Sorry what now?"

There's nothing out of the ordinary, or so Louis thinks, as he peers suspiciously in. He blinks in surprise as Harry reaches out to smooth out the furrow in his brow. "I heard a noise when I walked in," Louis says, jutting out his chin, "A crash boom bang, know anything about it?"

Harry chuckles and steps closer, his eyes glittering mischievously, "Well I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know you should look up."

He does so, not knowing what to expect, then lets out a groan as he sees what's dangling above them. "Really, Haz?"

"Really really," he replies, smoothing his hands down Louis' waist to his bum and back up again, before bending down to kiss him fiercely.

Butterball lets out an offended meow at being smushed in between the two, patting at Louis' arms insistently until he loosens his grip enough for her to makes her escape.

"Missed you," Harry says as he pulls away, the corners of his lips curled up in a smile.

"I was late to my first class because you tricked me into cuddling with you last night and then held me hostage this morning when I tried to leave," he deadpans. "See if I ever let you touch me bum again."

Harry laughs, pulling him into another kiss as he sneaks a hand around to grab a handful of his bum. "Oh yeah?" he murmurs, relishing the way Louis' voice hitches.

"Yeah," he bites back, pulling away to messily mouth at Harry's neck, then reaches up to kiss him one last time before grabbing his hand and dragging him to the kitchen.

It’s not until an hour later, when they've finished their tea and move onto a movie that he realizes Harry never did answer his question.

…

He's cleaning out the hallway closet a few days later in search of the last of the holiday decorations when he hears Harry come up behind him. "Stop staring at my bum," he huffs from where he's kneeling.

"Can't help it," Harry muses, "'s a nice bum."

Louis preens as best he can with his head stuck in the closet, arching his back and wiggling in a way he knows drives Harry mad.

"Fuck, Lou," Harry says at the same time Louis finally spots the missing reindeer and emerges triumphantly.

"Woah there pal," Louis huffs as Harry pulls him to his feet and presses up against him.

He hums in response, sliding his hand across Louis' stomach and rocking from side to side. "S'this okay?" he asks, resting his forehead against the back of his neck.

Louis nods, feeling warm and safe in the arms of his boy. He's about to suggest they leave decorations for another day and go cuddle when Harry's whispering in his ear, "look up" and he sees another sprig of mistletoe hanging from the doorframe.

"I wonder how that got there," he laughs, spinning around to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Harry grins, sliding his hand into the back of Louis' joggers instinctively. "Yeah, I wonder."

…

From there on out, the mistletoe starts popping up in more and more outlandish places. Louis is finishing his beans on toast one Tuesday when Harry plops himself in his lap, fresh out of bed and demanding a kiss.

"I've got bean breath, Harry," Louis argues, "And don't think I don't know you haven't brushed your teeth!"

"But baaaabe, its bad luck if we don't," he argues right back, wiggling his eyebrows expectantly.

"Bad luck? Wha-" he pauses, catching sight of the six pieces of mistletoe dangling from the six blades of the ceiling fan. "Good lord," he sighs, pecking Harry chastely, before standing to dump his plate in thesink. "A right menace, is what you are."

"Yes, but I'm your menace," Harry coos as he watches his boyfriend begin to pad down the hallway, before he pauses, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Don't you dare-" he starts, before Louis flips the switch and runs.

Harry buries his face in his hands, and hears the hum of the ceiling fan as it warms up, the soft thwacks of the plants hitting the wall, and Louis cackling away in his bedroom.

…

"Y'know its not that I don't like it, because we should never have to need a reason for kissing each other, but why so much mistletoe?" Louis asks when they're curled up one night in front the television. Their other cat, Crouton, is spread across the back of the couch, her bell jingling every now and then as if to remind them she's there.

"I always wanna kiss you love," he says honestly, "But we haven't been together that long and sometimes kissing leads to other things and I-I dunno, its dumb."

Louis frowns, turns in the circle of his arms and tilts his chin up. "C'mon now, nothing you could ever say or think or feel is dumb, Harry."

He shrugs, kissing the pad of his thumb, "It’s just that I know sex isn't a thing for you, so I guess I just wanted to have a way to make sure you know I'm not going to push you but that I still get to kiss you and be close to you."

In his heart of hearts, Louis knows Harry would never resent him for his sexuality. He had opened up to Harry early on in their friendship about his reluctance to date for fear of being let down when he was inevitably dumped for being asexual, and while Harry had reassured him that it was the other people's fault, at times Louis can't help but worry that Harry will eventually grow tired of him as well. But then, then there are times like these, where Harry protects him without him even knowing it, to make sure he feels safe and loved and whole.

"Thank you," he says softly, "for just...getting it, y'know? Not a lot of people do or if they do they think I'm just a prude or-"

"Hey hey, none of that," Harry murmurs, ducking down to press their foreheads together, "You shouldn't have to thank people for accepting who you are."

Louis smiles, breathing his next words into Harry's neck, as if getting closer to him willsomehow allow him to understand just how much this means. "I love you," he begins slowly, "and I know it’s not the same as being in love with you but I think I'm getting there."

Harry beams, pressing kisses to the back of Louis' head, his smile widening as Crouton joins their cuddle. "Oh Louu," he coos, "What's that next to Crouton's bell?"

Louis pulls his head off Harry's chest curiously, rolling his eyes when he catches sight of the mistletoe tied onto their cat's collar. "Babe how many more of those sprigs do you have?

He laughs, teeth clashing as they kiss. "Guess you'll have to keep kissing me to find out."


End file.
